Broken Wings
by Dark.StarDreamer
Summary: When the daughter of Sam Witwicky inherits the effects of the AllSpark, the decepticons come for her. What will happen when the fate of the world rests on one girl? And what will happen when she meets their second-in-command? Starscream/OC
1. Sami Witwicky

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, I do not have the great honor of owning Transformers or any of its characters.

**Author's Note: **Hello & welcome to the first chapter of _Broken Wings_! This is my first fic ever and I hope you enjoy!

Samantha Faith Witwicky never had a chance at normalcy. But what is normal anyway? If "normal" meant being like what everyone else claims to be, then that would have been too boring for Sam- even if she _wasn't_ partially raised by giant alien robots.

Her parents were Mikaela Banes and Samuel Witwicky, for whom she was named. Unfortunately, the girl never got a chance to know her mother. Her parents were young and inexperienced. Her mother never wanted a child and her father never expected Mikaela to get pregnant. In the end, her mother left after only a little more than a week after the baby was brought home. Sam felt responsible and hated himself for what happened, but he truly loved his daughter- planned or not.

"Hey Bumblebee, do you mind taking Sam to the base today? I've got a few things to do," Sam Witwicky asked, receiving a familiar rev of an engine as his only confirmation. Bee activated his pale, sandy-haired holoform to sit in his driver's seat. The autobots decided that it would be best to use their holoforms- solid holograms- on Earth to prevent any unwanted attention from coming their way.

The seven-year-old child ran toward her father, hugging his leg desperately. "Daddy… why?" she whined. It was true he'd been quite busy lately- earning enough money for the two of them proved to be difficult- but he always made time for his daughter. Today, however, he needed some time to catch up without worrying about little Sam getting into any trouble. Looking down at a set of tear-filled, brown eyes, he sighed and picked her up. He held her up high and spun around, causing little Sam to laugh and smile. He stopped and walked toward the yellow Camaro. "Oh Sami don't you remember how much fun you have there? You don't want to stay at home and watch me work all day, trust me," Sam answered her. She seemed to grasp the logic, but remained unhappy when she was placed in the back seat of the car. "You'll get to see Optimus and the others again!" he said, this time getting her to smile briefly. "That's my girl! Love you sweetie," he said after buckling her in securely. "Love you too, Daddy," She said, waving her hand as the door was closed.

Bumblebee drove off and Sam walked back into the house, prepared for the treacherous work and errands. When he entered the house, things seemed to blur together and he had a sharp pain in his head. "Shit… it's the cube again," he groaned, images of ancient Cybertronian figures dancing across his vision. He grabbed for a pencil and a sticky note, quickly jotting down everything he saw. This had been happening more often lately, although he hadn't thought much of it. The radiation from the Allspark had always been there, ever since _that_ day. _"Why didn't I wash that stupid shirt?"_ he wondered as the effects of episode dissipated. He took a deep breath and continued on with what he'd originally planned to do. He would get the Cybertronian writing to Optimus later.

"Are we there yet Bumblebee?" Samantha asked with the classic whiny voice of any child on a car ride. Bumblebee said nothing and instead turned up the volume on his radio. The poor youngling had learned about babysitting the hard way. Soon enough, Bee drove up to the base and opened the door for Sam. "Yay!!" She cheered after climbing out of the Camaro, allowing Bee to transform. By the time the metal finally stopped shifting and folding, little Sam was already running half way down the hall.

Bumblebee's damaged vocal processor squealed in protest as he failed to call out for her, loud robotic sounds coming from it rather than words. The Autobot base was a large and confusing place, especially for such a small human, and he didn't want her to get hurt. Sam ignored his "calls", even after he started the chase. The girl was on a mission. A mission to find- "Optimus!" she greeted enthusiastically when she basically ran right into him when she rounded the corner. Bumblebee finally caught up to them, feeling quite embarrassed for losing sight of her in front of his leader. The youngling still had much to learn about human children. "Hello Samantha," Optimus answered, giving Bumblebee a disapproving look. "What brings you to the base today?" He asked. "Daddy has to do some work at home… so I get to stay with you guys!" She replied happily, all previous sadness from leaving her father gone, now that Optimus Prime was here. He couldn't help but smile at the human child. He bent down and allowed her onto his hand, then stood back up. With his other hand, Optimus gave a wave to Bumblebee, signaling him to return to his previous assignment. The Autobots had grown close to the Witwickys, but they saw less and less of them after Mikaela left. Mostly this was due to the fact that Samuel was forced to work harder to give his daughter a normal life. Little Sami never cared about being normal as much as he did, though. She loved her Autobot friends as closely as anyone would love their family- and as long as she had them, everything would be okay.

"A new arrival has been estimated to land this afternoon. It shouldn't be long now. Would you like to come with me to meet him?" Optimus asked the child. "Sure!" She replied excitedly as they exited the base. Optimus had just been leaving the communications room when he found Samantha and Bumblebee. A new autobot was indeed scheduled to land just north of Tranquility, California in approximately two Earth hours.

Optimus placed little Sam on the ground, then proceeded to transform into his usual, red and blue, semi-truck mode. He opened the door to his passenger-side cab so Sam could climb up, the door closing shut once she was buckled in. His holoform was a tall brunette with ice-blue eyes that seemed to glow faintly. At once, they drove away from the base and toward the coordinates Optimus received from the incoming Autobot soldier.

A few minutes of silent driving went by, only the sounds of tires moving swiftly down the road filling the space. Then, Sam remembered something she wanted to ask Optimus. "Optimus?" She asked inquisitively. His holoform turned to look at her, "Yes?" Her brown eyes stared up with innocence. "What are decepticons?"

**Author's Note:** This is only the beginning of Sami's antics. Review please!


	2. Promises

**Author's Note:** Thanks SO much for the reviews! Here's chapter two!

Optimus suddenly stopped, tires screeching until they finally came to a halt in the middle of the road. Thankfully, they were already pretty far out on a country road, which had hardly any traffic whatsoever. "Samantha, where did you hear that word?" He asked her as calmly as he could. After the Fallen's defeat, the decepticons had fled from Earth, never to be seen again, but Optimus had a feeling deep in his spark that they would return. He knew his old brother in arms would never give up until he ruled the universe- or until it crumbled by his hands.

Samantha's quiet voice brought Optimus out of his thoughts, "I heard Daddy talking to Mr. Lennox about them the last time I went to play with Annabelle," she explained. Optimus sighed and decided to continue driving towards the new autobot's anticipated landing site. "The decepticons are the autobots' enemies whose mission is to rule the universe. We autobots believe that freedom is the right of all sentient beings, and we fight for those beliefs," He told her. He noted that Samantha must be unaware of her father's past. "But you should not worry about decepticons, Samantha. They are far away from Earth," he concluded. Samantha nodded, taking in the new information. Then her eyebrows scrunched up with worry, "..But what if they _do_come here?" She asked. "They will never get close enough to harm you," Optimus told her with a serious tone. "I promise."

* * *

By the time the semi came to a stop at an old, abandoned military base, it was already beginning to get dark. The NEST officials deemed it best that any autobots landing on Earth should remain in their protoforms and land in different, secluded areas. This would avoid attention being drawn to the area around NEST. Optimus opened his door for Samantha to get out and deactivated his holoform. He then transformed, waiting patiently for the newcomer to arrive.

It wasn't long before a streak of fire fell rapidly from the Earth's upper atmosphere, heading their way. Optimus knew they would not be hit, but Samantha became frightened when she saw it was about to land not far from where they were. She ran and hid behind Optimus's leg before the autobot finally landed in the grassy field, causing a deep rumble in the ground beneath them. The protoform wasted no time in instigating his transformation into its bipedal form. He took a step toward the military base, which was intentionally stored with vehicles and aircraft for new 'bots to scan. He selected a sleek, SR-71 Blackbird and reformatted his appearance. The autobot stood forty-one feet tall- just slightly taller than Prime's thirty-five feet. He modified the plates of metal to form a more humanoid shape and downloaded an off-white paintjob. He wanted to appear less hostile to the planet's life forms.

Once complete, he turned to face his leader and saluted respectfully. "Skyfire reporting for duty, Optimus sir," he greeted, unaware of the human child who just came out of her hiding place. "It's good to see you again, soldier," he replied. Skyfire's audio sensors picked up a sound coming from something small standing beside Optimus. "He he! You said 'duty!" The creature was laughing at him! "_It must be a human_," he observed. He had never seen one before, but Ratchet had told him about the organic race that inhabited this planet. "Hi! I'm Samantha Witwicky, but most people just call me Sam.. what's your name?" she asked, walking up to him. "_Witwicky… Ratchet said that a human called Samuel Witwicky tried to defeat Megatron and saved Optimus's life. This must be his offspring,"_he concluded. He still couldn't believe that one small human could bring his leader back from the dead. He flicked his gaze to Optimus, who nodded at him, then back to Samantha. "I'm Skyfire, the leader of the autobot air force," he said simply. Little Sam smiled when she remembered the alt form he chose. "I really like your jet form," she complimented. "Thank-you, young one," he answered cheerfully.

Optimus smiled. "Here is the location of our current headquarters," he said, sending the information to Skyfire. Both transformed, and Optimus waited for Samantha to get in, but she hesitated. "Optimus, can I ride with Skyfire back to the base?" She asked him. "Skyfire?" He asked his comrade. "It's alright with me," he said. Sami's face brightened with joy and the smile on her pale face grew wide. "Thank-you! Oh-my-gosh I've _always_wanted to fly!" She said excitedly, running up the ladder that led into the jet. Optimus chuckled as he drove off, trusting his most loyal autobot to keep Samantha safe.

* * *

"Put on the harness, Sam," Skyfire warned as he powered up his engines. "Aww.. I don't need a harness! Those are for babies!" she answered, too excited about flying to consider the risks. When Skyfire began moving forward and his engines roared even louder, little Sam had a change of mind. "Okay! Okay! I'll buckle up!" She said in a nervous tone. Maybe flying wasn't such a good idea…

Skyfire chuckled at the sudden loss of her bravado. "Hey! This is _not_funny, Skyfire!" Sam yelled over the roar of the engines. "Don't worry youngling, nothing bad will happen to you on my watch," He said confidently. "Besides, were you not _begging_ to fly five minutes ago?" Sam sighed, releasing tension, and nodded at the controls in front of her. "Okay," she said. "I can do this."

She held her gaze on the glass, watching the scenery becoming more and more blurred as the Blackbird began its takeoff. The shuttle gained speed and lifted into the air, rapidly gaining altitude. "I can't do this!!" Sam yelped. It was only a matter of seconds before they were above the clouds and Skyfire was done ascending. Sam's little body was all balled up with her legs brought up against the seat. Her hands had subconsciously grabbed the harness with all her might. Her eyes, which were shut tight promptly during takeoff, finally opened slowly as the rest of her body relaxed. She let out a breath that she had apparently been holding.

"…Are you alright?" Skyfire asked with some concern. Samantha nodded warily and gazed through the glass, fascinated with the clouds. His scans showed she had an increase in heart rate, but otherwise fine. He did not know much about humans, after all Ratchet had only told him the basics about their race. The scientist was, as always, more than willing to learn everything he could about them. It wouldn't be a great start to injure one by accident, especially one so young. Taking interest, he studied his first "specimen." She was a young female who could still be considered a sparkling. She had thick, dark-brown hair that hung just above her shoulders and a set of bright, almost topaz eyes. She currently wore a maroon t-shirt, cargo pants, and sneakers.

Skyfire felt terrible for scaring the little human and decided to lighten the mood. "So how did you get to know Optimus, Sam?" He asked, although he already knew the answer. Sam looked up and smiled. "My daddy knew Optimus before… and then I was born and I got to meet him," she replied, "How did _you_meet Optimus?" Skyfire thought back to those simple days before the war. They seemed like such a long time ago. "I used to be a scientist before the war began. In fact, I still am," he said, still musing on the days he missed most. "But when the decepticons revolted, I was enlisted in the autobot army. I never truly had a chance to meet Optimus until much later, when I was sent to the autobot elite air force. I soon learned how lucky we were to have a great leader like Optimus," He finished. "Yeah! He's so cool… I think _all_ of you guys are really cool. I mean just look at _you_. You can _fly_!" Sam commented. Skyfire was silent in slight confusion. His temperature was certainly not what humans would consider cold. A quick Internet search revealed the slang term "cool," which was defined as "interesting" or "amazing." Skyfire internally smiled when he said, "Thank-you young one. I think you are quite _cool_ yourself,"

They talked on like this for a while and soon they began their descent to land at the autobot base. By this time it was well past Sami's bedtime, and that fact had finally caught up with her. The little girl's body slumped in the pilot's seat and her eyes became droopy. She slowly moved her head to rest on the arm of the seat and fell asleep in less than a minute.

When Skyfire landed, the child was still sound asleep. Unsure of what to do in this situation, Skyfire activated his matter-projection generators. With a quick scan of the Internet, he created his human form. He had messy light brown hair and soft stubble on his chin that ran up his jaw line. His holoform appeared to be around his mid to upper twenties in age. His dark blue eyes gazed down at the sleeping child before carefully picking her up in his arms and exiting his jet form.

Sami slowly blinked her eyes open and gazed up at the man carrying her. "…Skyfire?" she murmured sleepily. Skyfire smiled and nodded at her without saying a word. He then set her down on her feet. His holoform vanished as he went back to his robotic self and transformed. Skyfire bent down in his robot form and put a hand down for Samantha to climb on to. The barely-awake little girl crawled onto the hand and drowsily lay down. Skyfire partially curled his fingers around the small human and stood. Sami's eyes closed once more as she drifted back into unconsciousness.

Skyfire entered the base with the sleeping Samantha Witwicky and continued down the hall. He stopped when he saw a familiar face. "Hello Bumblebee!" he greeted the young mech. Bumblebee waved his arms enthusiastically and ran up to him. "It's great to see you, Bee. However, I was hoping you would be able to help me out.." Skyfire uncurled his fingers to reveal little Sam, sound asleep in his palm. Bee nodded and transformed into his vehicle mode. Skyfire carefully placed Samantha in Bumblebee's backseat and the yellow Camaro drove on toward the Witwicky residence. _"What an odd species," _Skyfire mused to himself as he stared on in the direction Bumblebee left.

**Author's Note:**Alright just so I can get this straightened out- the Skyfire in this story has no relation to Jetfire from ROTF. He is totally different and more like the g1 Skyfire.

Give me some more reviews and the next chapter might have some decepticon action! :)


	3. Promises II

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything except my character, Samantha Witwicky

**Author's Note: **I introduce a new character in this chapter- Alexander Hargreaves- who belongs to KingZant99. Please enjoy the cute fluff.. while it lasts!

* * *

"Daddy! Come _on_! Lex is gunna beat us there!" Samantha whined. It was twelve noon and the little girl stood in the doorway with her purple "Hello Kitty" backpack on her shoulders.

By the end of the first grade, Sami had already made a best friend. She met Alexander Hargreaves, or Lex, as most called him, on the first day of school. They were in the same class and together they caused destruction- every recess, every nap time, and every time they saw fit. The team stood up for the weak against the unjust ways of the school system. They weren't exactly popular amongst their classmates, but the duo would certainly not be forgotten at Tranquility Elementary. All that work and punishment wore them out during the school year. Now it was summer, which meant more time for play.

"Alright I'm coming," Sam said with a yawn. He had been up pretty late last night finishing up the last of his work. Although it was sometimes frustrating, Sam was thankful the company he worked for allowed him to work from home most of the time. He had never wanted to be one of those parents who dumped their kid off at a daycare every day.

Samantha ran outside as soon as she saw Bumblebee drive up to their house. "Hi Bumblebee!" She said, climbing into the car. "Na na na na, hey hey hey hey…" Bumblebee replied, using his radio to speak. Sami giggled at this, recognizing the song with ease.

* * *

Sami was literally bouncing up and down with excitement when they finally came to a stop at the park. She and Lex hadn't had a chance to hang out since school let out in June. Apparently, he and his family went on some sort of vacation that started just before summer break began. Now it was almost July and Lex had returned. Sami was ecstatic. What adventures would they have this summer? Pranks, that was a given, and they definitely had to teach that bully kid a lesson… Sami checked off on her mental "things to-do" list.

Sam and his daughter got out of the yellow Camaro and walked over to the playground. "Sami!" A familiar voice called out to her. She looked toward the sound and saw Alex standing on the top of the playground's tower.

"Hey Lex!" She yelled back, running up to the playground. She made her way up the ladder quickly to join him at the tower. Lex had brown, bowl-cut hair, and thin, dark green eyes. He wore a simple black t-shirt and shorts for the warm summer day.

Then, Sami noticed something that wasn't there before. "What are those?" She asked with honest curiosity and concern. She pointed to the bandages on both of his forearms. "Oh.. umm.." the usually outgoing and happy little boy suddenly became hesitant and shy. "I fell while I was at the beach with my family," he replied sheepishly. Sami laughed, taking more of Lex's pride away with each chuckle. Lex sighed and stared at his hands in defeat.

"So, what's in the bag?" Alex asked her, pointing a finger at the backpack Sami had just removed from her shoulders.

"Oh, nothing… just some snacks, water.." Sami said, turning and walking away from him. She reached her hand into the backpack and grabbed the thing she was looking for. She smirked to herself in a dark expression that remained unseen, for she was still not facing her friend.

"Take this!" Sam yelled, suddenly turning around. She quickly pulled out the water gun and pulled the plastic trigger.

"Hey! No fair I'm unarmed!" Lex yelled back. He jumped down the slide that was nearest to him to evade his attacker. Of course, Sam wasn't far behind.

"Nuh-uh! My uncle says you should always be ready for an attack!" She laughed. Sami continued her chase until poor little Lex was soaked to the point that would make Ironhide proud. After running for so long, both of the kids collapsed on the grass next to the playground.

"Y'know.. I really shoulda seen that coming," Lex said as he caught his breath.

"Yeah, especially after _your_ latest prank," Sam guessed. "You should have been ready for my revenge, Lexi boy.."

"Don't remind me," he replied, cringing from the memories. "And DON'T call me Lexi!"

"It took my daddy _days_ before he got all the color out.." Sami giggled.

"I was aiming for you!" Alex admitted. He glanced at Sami's father, still wary of him after the incident. Both of them began laughing at the memory.

"Lex, let's make a pact right now to always be best friends, no matter what," Sam proposed. "Okay," Lex answered.

"Put your hand over your heart and swear it, or I can't trust your answer!" Samantha told him. Alex did as she asked, saying, "I, Alexander Hargreaves, swear to always be your best friend." Sam repeated the oath herself and the two stood up to resume playing.

* * *

Sam Witwicky sat on the park bench, watching his daughter play. It was a beautiful summer afternoon. The birds were chirping, the kids were out of school, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was almost _too _good.

A man with the same bright blue eyes as all the autobot's holoforms possessed was walking toward Samuel. Sam stood up from his sitting position and met him halfway. "Hey- Skyfire, right? Sami told me all about you," he greeted.

Skyfire nodded as he spoke, "Forgive me, but I'm afraid I have urgent news. Optimus sent me to tell you because I was the closest to your location."

Sam subconsciously glanced to where Bumblebee had been. As usual, the young 'bot was called in to headquarters for an important scouting mission. _"Poor Bee,"_ Sam mused. He could relate. "What's going on?" Sam asked, keeping his voice low.

"I do not wish to alarm you, but we have detected some decepticon energy signatures," Skyfire reported. Behind his serious expression, Skyfire's dark blue eyes held great concern. Hadn't the Witwicky family been through enough?

Sam rubbed the back of his neck and released a breath, eyebrows arching. "Are they here?" He almost whispered. He glanced around with his eyes as if a decepticon were right behind him. He paused his quick search when he found Sami, safely playing with her friend just a few yards away.

"They appear to be closing in on this solar sector, but none are on Earth as of now. It is possible that they are regrouping for another attack. We have been monitoring their coordinates since-"

"Skyfire!" little Sam yelled happily. She ran right up to the solid hologram and gave him a hug.

Skyfire stared down at her, a mild expression of shock lining his features. He gave her a small smile and ruffled her hair. However, he could not ignore the seriousness of their current situation. "Yes, Sam, it's me. But I need to speak with your father right now," Skyfire told her.

Sami's smile faded as she released him from her hug. She stared at the ground stubbornly and sighed. "We can, as you humans say, _hang out_ later," Skyfire said.

"Sami, go play with Lex. I think he's looking for you," Sam offered.

"Yes Daddy," Samantha said before reluctantly running off to find her friend.

After Sami returned to her play, Sam stared at Skyfire's holoform, worry dominating his features. He gazed in Sami's direction again. No decepticon would get near her. Sam promised himself that.

"Sam- Optimus has ordered for you and Samantha to stay at the base until the threat has passed," Skyfire said. "Bumblebee will be here shortly so you can gather your belongings."

Sam nodded. "Thank-you," he said and Skyfire's holoform abruptly flickered out of existance.

* * *

_The Nemisis_ was such a dark and eerie place.

The lead decepticon ship was readying for an attack on planet Earth once again. Megatron smiled darkly as he stared at the blue planet before him. The silver leader of the decepticons turned away from the glass to face his men.

"You've already been briefed on your missions," Megatron began. "I expect nothing less than perfection. Fail-" Megatron grabbed one of his soldiers by the neck, gripping tightly before throwing him to the ground. "-and you will deeply regret it," he finished. Megatron's ruby optics glared at the flier he had just punished as he recovered from the sudden blow. The soldier did not break eye contact with his leader until Megatron kicked him in the side.

"Do not fail me."


	4. Foreboding Thoughts

Bumblebee sat in his robotic mode with little Sami while they waited for Sam to finish packing for their stay at the base. There was no telling how long they would have to live there. Bumblebee, in his usual positive light, hoped that the decepticons would not attack for stellar cycles… or even have peace between the factions.

"_No,"_ he told himself. _"Impossible."_

Bee watched as Sami walked over to where he was sitting and placed her little hands on his left leg. She lifted her own leg up in an attempt to climb upon him, but when she moved her other foot, she began to slip. She lost her balance and fell, shutting her eyes in anticipation of oncoming pain. But she wasn't hurt and she didn't hit the ground. Sami opened her eyes to find that she was lying in Bumblebee's hand.

"Thanks, Bee!"

Bumblebee gently placed Sami on his knee and kept his optics on her. The yellow 'bot had come to love this sparkling of Sam's. He liked to think of her as a little sister.

He prayed to Primus that he could protect her and her father from whatever the decepticons threw at him.

* * *

"Daddy we almost forgot Doggy Bear!" Said little Samantha, running to her room as fast as she could. "Oh no! You better go get him," she heard Samuel say. She eyed the stuffed animal that currently sat on her bed. It was an old toy her father had given her on the day she was first brought home. "Doggy Bear," as it was called, was made of white material, had floppy ears, and a brown patch over one eye. She grabbed it and hugged it to her chest.

She walked down the short hallway where she found her dad quickly stuffing the essentials into two bags. He acted very different tonight- Sami could tell. Ever since they left the park, her dad was jumpy and checked on her every five minutes or less. _"We're going to stay with the autobots for a while,"_ he had told her when she asked. When she heard this, she was more than excited to get to play with her big robotic friends more often. But why wasn't her daddy feeling as happy as she was?

"Here Daddy," Sami said as she handed him Doggy Bear. "Thanks for helping sweetie," he answered her. Sam carefully placed the stuffed animal on the top of his daughter's bag before zipping it shut.

Sam finally finished packing and carried the bags to Bumblebee, who was now patiently waiting for them outside in his alt mode. "Hey bee, sorry if we took too long," He said as he placed the bags in Bee's trunk. Paranoid as he was tonight, Sam ran back inside to check on Sami where he found her sound asleep on the sofa.

"Sami, it's time to leave now," Sam whispered to her. He gently picked up the girl in his arms. She clung to his neck sleepily as they walked the short distance to Bumblebee. Sam put her in the back seat, buckled her up, and got in the front seat. Bumblebee's usually calm and happy holoform held a blank expression as he backed out of the driveway and began driving toward the base.

* * *

They continued down the road in silence. Bumblebee's vocal processor was still unable to function and little Sami was too tired to speak. Sam, however, could sense something in the air. It was as if tragedy were right around the corner.

While Sami was blissfully unaware of the possible danger, her father was certainly not. He knew he was never very strong and scared easily, despite his time with the transformers. His near-death experiences seemed to have only made him more skittish rather than strengthen him. Right now all he was concerned about was Samantha. Thankfully, she seemed to have inherited her mother's bravery.

"_Mikaela,"_ Sam thought. He had tried to erase her completely from his mind numerous times, but they were all failed attempts. Their relationship had already begun to falter, even before Samantha was born.

Mikaela was tired of dealing with the autobots and the problems they brought with them. She didn't want her and Sam to have to live in fear of decepticons coming after them constantly. It's not that she didn't care about the autobots and their cause, she just didn't want to be involved. Sam still stood by the autobots, which made Mikaela furious.

When Samantha was born Mikaela became hurt and confused. What would she do now? She couldn't possibly raise a family in these conditions! She didn't really even believe she _wanted_ a child in the first place.

"_Sam we just can't live like this! Its too dangerous… now give me the kid."_

"_No, Mikaela. She's staying with me."_

"_No she'll be _killed_! If you have any sense at all you'll let me take her to the orphanage..."_

"_The autobots won't let-"_

"_Shut up about the autobots Sam! I know they want to help us, but they just can't save us from everything."_

"_I'm not gonna give her a life without parents! She's my daughter too Mikaela!"_

"_Fine! Have it your fucking way! If the kid gets hurt it's not my fault!"_

That's when she left, storming out of Sam's apartment never to return.

Sam twisted around in his seat to look at his seven-year-old daughter. She looked so much like him- all except for the waves in her chocolate brown hair. Her head was leaning against the window and her eyes gazed at the moonlit scenery.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to tremble. They could hear the sounds of jets approaching them rapidly.

"Daddy!?" Samantha gasped, jolting up from her lax position.

"Decepticons. Bumblebee, drive!"

But it was too late.

**Author's Note: **Dun dun dun! Now that the 'cons have arrived what will they do?

I thought I'd shoot off one more chapter before the real action begins- and before I go to the beach. I won't have internet, but I'll continue writing so I can update when I get back next week!

Your reviews encourage me so much! So leave some for me when I get back, kay? :)


	5. Decepticons

**Author's Note**: Back from the beach with chapter 5! ^^ This was not an easy one to write, but I hope you enjoy! And thanks so much for the reviews!

* * *

Everything moved so quickly to Sam. It all became a huge blur of metal transforming into four decepticons who looked ready to kill.

Bumblebee was forced to slam on his brakes when one jumped in front of him and the rest began to close in. He opened his doors, but the humans barely had any time at all to get out of the Camaro before it transformed. Sam and Sami wasted no time in running for cover, while Bumblebee stood his ground and braced for battle.

Sam had picked up little Samantha and hid between an old, busted up car and a thick line of shrubbery. He sat Sami down in the area where the bushes covered up the most space and hid her as much as possible. He crouched down low under the vegetation and instructed Sami to do the same. Years of experience taught Sam that hiding barely helped them at all when your enemy is made of advanced alien technology. He knew they could detect them easily with their scanners, as all of the Cybertronians could.

"D-daddy what's happening? Are those decepticons?" Sami whispered, worried tears forming in her brown eyes.

"Shh shh. It'll be alright Sami," Sam soothed, although his nervous tone was all but reassuring to the little girl. He observed their attackers while remaining hidden in the bushes.

One appeared to have been a police car before it morphed into the menacing creature before them. Sam clearly recognized him as Barricade- the first 'con he met and Bumblebee's arch rival.

The other three were fighter aircraft. The supposed leader of the trio was a light bronze F-22 Rapter. Sam remembered him as well. He was called Starscream and he was Megatron's well-known, treacherous, second-in-command.

The others were unfamiliar to Sam, but the two F-15 Eagles looked just as dangerous as any decepticon. One was dark and a bit bulky with his modified weapons, similar to Ironhide. The other light grey, possibly lavender, flier seemed more agile.

Four powerful decepticons vs one autobot and two humans. They were screwed.

* * *

"Bumblebee.. still playing around with the humans I see? I'm not surprised," Barricade taunted. Bumblebee simply glared at his remark.

"What's wrong? Ravage got cha' tongue?" cackled the lavender seeker.

"I think so 'Warp. Come on youngling, _we_ can fix that vocal processor of yours, _permanently_," snickered the black, almost navy, mech.

Bumblebee knew it would surely destroy his vocal processors and comm. link for good, but he had to contact Optimus. He would remain mute for the rest of his life if it meant protecting his human friends.

"_**Bumblebee to Optimus."**_

"_**Optimus here."**_

"_**We're being attacked by Barricade and the seekers."**_

He quickly sent him their coordinates.

"_**I'll be there shortly with Ratchet, Ironhide, Skyfire, and Sideswipe."**_

The link died and Bumblebee listened as Starscream stepped forward.

"Thundercracker, Skywarp, quit messing around. We have a mission to fulfill and I do not intend to return empty-handed," came the harsh, raspy voice of Starscream.

"Sheesh Screamer, you're no fun today," whined Skywarp.

"Probably because of that beating he got from Megatron.." Thundercracker murmured, but not out of Starscream's earshot.

The said seeker swung around, growling, and faced Bumblebee. Fueled from his wing mates' comments, he yelled, "Our mission, young autobot, is to capture Samuel J. Witwicky. Hand him over and no one else will be damaged."

Bumblebee's vocal processors raked with pain as he growled out a single word.

"Never."

With that, the yellow mech raised the plasma canon he favored. Before a shot could be fired, the seeker in front of him moved to avoid the close-range attack.

"Barricade, find the human male," Starscream ordered.

The statement easily angered Bumblebee, who immediately went after Barricade. Skywarp stopped him before Bee could get too far, sending a fist at his face. He stumbled back a bit and blocked the next attack from Skywarp with his arms.

"You're not going anywhere, autobot!"

He peered past Skywarp's form to see Barricade nearing the area he had seen Sam run off to with his child. The brief distraction was long enough for Skywarp to repeat his last attack, this time with enough force to tear off Bumblebee's battle mask.

Bee groaned in pain as he tried his best to get past the purple seeker.

* * *

"Urrrggghh! This is so not the time for this!" Sam cursed under his breath as he felt another Allspark episode coming on. This time, it wasn't minor like the one he had a few days ago.

The world melded together and swirled uncontrollably for Sam. His head felt the usual pang of discomfort and confusion. Then, it felt as if his mind were exploding out of his head. Lights flashed brightly in his vision and colors seemed to fade. Five Cybertronian figures continued to repeat themselves over and over.

He knew if it felt this bad it must be important. The Allspark had tried to warn him many times before, and he figured that now was his last chance.

Frustrated, he grabbed the paper and pen he always kept in his pocket. He copied the images swiftly and efficiently. The intense pain subsided once he completed the alien writing.

Little Sami looked up at him, worry evident in her expression.

"Don't worry. I'm alright.. here, put it in your pocket," Sam said, folding the note and handing it to her.

* * *

Sam peered through the shrubbery to see Barricade getting closer to them as each second passed. He had to think quickly.

He put his hands on each of his daughter's shoulders. She looked terrified and he couldn't blame her. Sami had never seen a decepticon before. These transformers were nothing like Skyfire or Bumblebee. They were all dark and jagged-looking with claws, fangs, and deadly weapons.

Sam looked at her with nothing but seriousness as he calmly told her, "Samantha, you have to promise me to stay _right_ here. Do not move from this spot until either I, Bumblebee, or one of the others come for you."

Tears rolled down the child's face. She didn't want her father to leave her all alone with four decepticons so nearby.

"Can you please do that for me Sam?" He could hear Barricade approaching.

Little Sami nodded slowly. Sam gave her a hug, saying,

"Be brave. I love you."

"I love you too, Daddy."

Sam then stood, turned around, and ran in the opposite direction. This immediately got Barricade's attention. The black and white mech gave chase, sending the threat away from Samantha.

He had a strong gut feeling that told him exactly what the decepticons were here for. He had overheard Starscream, which had only confirmed his thoughts.

They weren't here for him. They wanted the remaining Allspark energy within him. And probably revenge. He knew he would not survive this unless the rest of the autobots arrived in time.

In a way, Sam _did_ have an advantage over the 'cons that even the autobots might not know about.

Sam had called upon his bravery few times in his life, and most of them involved the transformers. But now he wasn't saving the world or an alien civilization, he was protecting his daughter.

And he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't.


	6. No Sacrifice, No Victory

**Author's Note: **Not much I can say but sorry for the long wait! This is one intense chapter.. prepare yourself.

* * *

Bumblebee stared in shock as he watched his charge run into open ground and past Barricade. Bumblebee shoved Skywarp off, letting him fall backwards, then shot at him with his blaster as the seeker fled. Bee ran in the direction he had last seen Barricade, but his path was once again obstructed.

This time, Thundercracker came at him with an injured Skywarp not too far behind. The yellow 'bot struggled to hold off the two opponents, but stood his ground determinedly.

As they fought, he saw Starscream flying above. He must have been giving Barricade back up for when the autobots arrived. Keeping his mainframe in the game, Bumblebee struck at Skywarp, only to see him completely disappear. Just as quickly, Skywarp reappeared behind Bumblebee, striking him in the back. Sparks flew at the impact, causing Bee to stumble forward.

This was going to be a long fight.

Not much time had passed since Bee had contacted Optimus, but during battle, time was morphed in many ways. The others had to make it here soon. Bumblebee knew the odds were against him when he was the only autobot within twenty or so miles.

* * *

Starscream flew through the skies ahead in search of the autobots. They would be making their way toward their useless comrades down this road. For once, Megatron's plan was full proof, to Starscream's chagrin. He didn't see any flaws that would prevent them from making this a successful mission. Although, Starscream still could not believe they were going through all this just to kill _one_ fleshy. It made sense for Megatron to want the remains of the Allspark within his grasp, but he seemed to want the human dead more than anything. Starscream knew _his_ day would come. The day _he_ would be ruler…

"_Foolish autobots,"_

Starscream sneered to himself when he saw his enemies coming to the rescue of their little human pets. The very thought of teaming up with the organics sickened him. The F-22 Raptor shot forward and down, transforming during his descent. In front of him stood the already transformed forms of Optimus, Ironhide, Ratchet, and Sideswipe.

"Starscream…" Ironhide growled as they took out their weapons.

"_**Skywarp you idiot, where are you?"**_

Starscream hissed through his comlink as Optimus came at him. Skywarp's orders were to go with Starscream to keep the autobots busy. Thundercracker and Barricade would take care of the human and Bumblebee.

Seconds later, Skywarp materialized beside Starscream. Almost immediately after, he was shot at by Ironhide's favored plasma canon. It skimmed Skywarp's armor, making him react by flinching back with a shriek. They took to the skies, swiftly avoiding shots from the enemy and shooting off rounds of their own.

* * *

"I'll get you, Witwicky!"

Sam ran fast against the hard asphalt ground as he led Barricade away from his daughter. Fortunately, she had barely even been noticed by the decepticons. Now that she was safe, he needed to save himself. Sam glanced back only to find that Barricade was right on top of him.

Barricade reached down and moved his hand quickly under Sam's feet, causing him to trip over and fall harshly to the ground. Sam groaned at the impact, pain shooting up his back. He started to get up, but didn't have the chance when a huge hand slammed him to the ground again and held him there. The weight of the hand on his body ached as he strained to catch his breath.

"Ha! There are no autobots to save you this time, human," said Barricade.

Sam turned his head to see Bumblebee struggling to get to him. The one called Thundercracker was holding him back. Bee's face was etched with concern and determination as he fought his best to get past the seeker. The autobot seemed to have already been seriously injured in a few areas, but fought nonetheless.

"Finally, I have our revenge," Barricade said, teeth forming a menacing smile.

Intense pain.

The fingers on Barricade's other hand had merged together to form a single sharp blade. The decepticon began to slowly plunge the weapon into Sam's chest, causing him to yell out in pain. The blade moved so slowly that it barely moved at all, but enough for Sam to feel the torture it was meant for. Black spots littered his vision and sounds became muffled as he lay there, stunned.

Suddenly, the suffocating weight of Barricade's hand was lifted off him when he was blasted to the ground. He watched as Optimus Prime went after Barricade and the two fought.

* * *

All the while, Samantha stayed behind the bushes, staring shocked in the direction her father ran. Sadly, her hiding place allowed her to easily view the scene with Barricade and Sam. When she first saw that scary monster coming close to her, she thought she was dead for sure. Then her dad ran out into the open to lead him away from her. At first she was just glad the decepticon wasn't near her anymore, but when she saw him chasing her father, she was terrified for him.

She saw him get caught and instantly knew something terrible was happening when she heard his screams. She couldn't see much at all because the decepticon's body blocked out her view of Sam. This only caused Sami more anxiety as she longed to run to him and help him somehow. She knew she had to stay where she was- he had told her to. Besides, there wasn't much she could do other than get herself killed.

Instant relief came when she saw Optimus Prime attack Barricade and resumed fighting with him. She saw anger in Prime's optics she had never seen before as he picked up the decepticon and slammed him against an ally-way building. He held him there with his left hand and his right became a sword-like weapon just as Barricade's had moments before. Optimus swiftly stabbed him through his spark, destroying his life force.

"DADDY!!!" She screamed the minute she saw her father lying there, motionless.

Forgetting to wait for someone to come to her, she sprinted to where Sam was, collapsing on her knees in front of him. Her small hands reached for his as she shook them lightly.

"Daddy..?"

His eyes opened slowly as he held her hand. His other hand was clutching the open wound in his chest. It was very deep and bleeding profusely. He didn't have much time.

"Hey sweetie," he forced a smile for her.

"Daddy, you're hurt!" Tears welled in her eyes.

"It'll be okay hon.. You still have that note?"

His words were beginning to slur and his eyes were half-closed. His breathing was labored and it made his voice rasp. She took out the little piece of paper and held it up for him to see.

"Yes Daddy, see?"

"Good.. Good.. Make sure Optimus gets it.."

The arm that was covering his vicious wound fell to his side as the strength left him to hold it there. There was a large tear through his blood-soaked shirt. The deep cut started at his chest and went down his left side, causing pools of crimson blood to form there. Sami jumped with a gasp at the sight. She hadn't expected to see this…

"Daddy.." she whispered in shock.

His eyes slowly became shut and his breathing slowed considerably.

"Daddy! Don't go!!" She pleaded, tears streaming down her pale face.

Sam's mouth formed a weak smile as he replied, "Sami, do you remember the old family motto? No sacrifice-"

"-No victory," she finished with him. "But I don't understand.."

"You will, someday," he said as his body quite noticeably weakened further.

"Daddy!"

"I love you," he said as he whispered his last breath.

"No!!" She screamed in disbelief, "DADDY!!"

She screamed when her cries for him went unanswered. Tears flowed in heaps as she helplessly tried to awaken him. She held her fathers limp hand in her own small hands as she continued to cry uncontrollably. She had never really had a mother and now her father was leaving her too. Sami lay down beside his lifeless body, clinging to his arm and crying into it.

She could feel slow steps coming up behind her.

"Sami.."

It was Skyfire who spoke first. The others didn't know what to say or do. The child had just witnessed her father's death right before her young eyes. Skyfire stepped forward when no one else did and knelt in front of her. He gently rubbed her back with one finger to sooth her as she cried. The autobots had managed to chase off the seekers; unfortunately, they came too late.

Bumblebee, who had finally fought off Thundercracker with the help of his comrades, stared on in shock. He simply could not believe it. Sam had always been his best friend and he vowed to protect him and his family no matter what. Bee felt ashamed that he had allowed this to happen to his charge. Not only had Sam's life been brutally taken, but little Sami had seen the traumatizing event. He failed to protect her from becoming the last Witwicky.

Megatron would _not_ get his hands on Samantha.

* * *

**Author's Note:** ok please don't kill me for this! I hate to end it on a sad note but it'll get better. *sniffle*sniffle* :(


	7. The Stars Will Watch Over You

**Authors Note**: Ohmygosh I actually updated! Dx Sorry guys.

* * *

"Autobots, as you know, Samuel James Witwicky was a dear friend and comrade to us. Now, his daughter is left without family to care for her. Sam's spirit lives in the child, and I believe we must do whatever it takes to make sure she is taken care of," spoke a sad Optimus. The other autobots held solumn expressions.

"I would normally assign guardianship of the child to Bumblebee, but as he is currently recovering from damages from the fight, I have decided that responsibility will be given to someone else," Optimus looked at Skyfire, who was listening intently. "You will watch over her, Skyfire, until we can find another family member at least."

"Yes, sir," he answered without hesitation. The girl meant a lot to him and he'd never want to see anything bad happen to her.

"Optimus, sir?"

"Speak, Skyfire"

"Sami gave me this piece of paper and would only tell me to give it to you," Skyfire handed him the paper with words scribbled on it.

"It's ancient Cybertronian. Sam must have had another vision. Thank you, soldier. Ratchet, have this translated as soon as possible."

"Yes sir," answered Ratchet, taking the paper from him. Optimus dismissed the 'bots and they all went to tend to their separate tasks.

* * *

Skyfire and Ratchet spent most of that night deciphering the ancient language. They came to the conclusion that it was a warning of something to come. As to whether it was good or bad, they couldn't tell. They knew this: whatever it was, it would affect them all.

"I think right now, it's best if we all got some rest. I do not think we can change the things this message speaks of. If what we believe it says is true, this 'event' is going to happen despite our efforts," Ratchet concluded wearily.

Skyfire nodded and waved as the medic left before walking in the direction of Sami's on-base room.

* * *

"Hello? Sami, are you in there?" came the calm voice of Skyfire. She lifted her head at the sound of knocking at her door. She climbed down from her bed and wiped at her wet eyes. When she opened to door she gazed up at Skyfire with an expression filled with pain. Sam's cheeks were bright pink and wet with salty tears, indicating she had been crying not too long ago.

"Sami.." he sighed, kneeling in front of her. Samantha immediately ran up to Skyfire, hugging his face by spreading her arms as far as they would allow. Tears began to flow once more as they stood like this for a few moments. It had only been a night since it happened and she was, understandably, far from getting over her father's death.

Skyfire carefully scooped her up, holding her close to him as he allowed her to mourn. The mech wasn't quite sure how to handle this delicate situation, so he stayed there for her whenever she needed him. He certainly would not allow her to be alone while she recovered. Skyfire had been told that a family member was to come and stay with her for some time, but whoever they were obviously did not show, which would have meant Sam was alone. This made him furious, but he would not let it show in front of the little girl.

"Skyfire?" she sniffed, "can we fly?"

"Of course we can," he said and began to move down the hall and toward the exit. Soon, they were flying beneath the stars. Little Sami took comfort in them as she gazed through the glass. She knew that no matter what, the stars would always be there for her. They were watching down on her just as she knew her father was.


	8. Kill Joys

"I assume that rather simplistic task I gave you is complete?" Megatron asked his second-in-command. His dark-red eyes glowed with hidden rage that Starscream knew would be released if his leader was disappointed.

"Yes, sir," Starscream nodded.

"Good," Megatron said, sounding somewhat surprised at his answer. "It is about time that annoying insect has been removed. Now, hand me the remains of the AllSpark," he ordered.

"As you know, Sir, Barricade was terminated during battle by Optimus Prime. I regret to inform you, that it was he who destroyed Witwicky moments before he died-"

"And!" Some of that suppressed anger began to seep through Megatron's calm façade.

"The remnants of the AllSpark are lost, Sir."

* * *

-Ten years later-

* * *

"_Be brave,"_ he had told her. That was the last thing she could do right now. Samantha Witwicky was silent as she lay on her bed at the autobot base. It had been ten years ago that she and her father were together and safe at home. She had felt alone and confused- Sam was her only family and his death was devastating to everyone. Sami improved, however, and was content living with her autobot friends.

She lifted her head at the sound of knocking at her door. She hopped down from her bed and opened the door, smiling. It was Bumblebee.

"Hey kiddo! 'Sides and I wanted to know if you want to hang out with us," he asked. He and the others knew the anniversary of Sam's death must be on her mind and he wasn't about to leave her alone all day.

Sami eagerly nodded her head. Bumblebee sighed inwardly at that, wishing she would use her voice again. He had spent years working with Ratchet to fix his own vocal processors and Bee hated that he still couldn't have a normal conversation with Sami. She had been doing fine otherwise; perfectly happy, but she just wouldn't speak. He let her onto his hand and made his way to the rec room, where many bots like to retreat to during their free-time.

The autobots weren't sure why little Sami refused to talk. She remained mute for the most part, although she occasionally spoke a few quiet words to Skyfire. He seemed to be the only one who could get her to say anything.

She also became a very shy, introverted person for some time, unlike the hyper-active child she once was. Her classmates could see the difference when she returned to school for the first time since the terrible incident. The usual prankster seemed to just get through the school day doing what she was told and focusing on her grades instead of playing with her friends.

Lex tried his best to cheer her up, but nothing would work. She wouldn't talk at all, or even smile. The boy was confused. Friends were supposed to help their friends, but she wouldn't even let him try. A few weeks later, Alex had to move to another town. He promised they would keep in touch, but never stayed true to his word. Sami had never seen him since.

The autobots began to get seriously concerned for Sam. Especially Ratchet. The old medic had taken to studying human health and anatomy ever since their arrival to Earth. He had also learned much about the human brain and it's confusing emotions. It was decided that Sami had a kind of indirect therapy with Ratchet whenever she saw him for a medical examination; but all of the 'bots wanted to help her. Over the years, she had improved greatly. She was becoming her old self again.

Bumblebee, as the youngest 'bot on the team, figured he would always try to let her have fun. He and Sideswipe constantly included her in their pranks and games. Ironhide had commented that they were teaching her to be a pain in the aft like them, which only seemed to encourage the two more.

Sideswipe was standing with his arms crossed leaning against the wall in the rec room when Bee and Sami arrived.

"About time you showed! C'mon we gotta hurry if this is going to work!" Said Sideswipe in a hushed voice.

The trio silently crept away from their meeting place and toward Ironhide's quarters. Sideswipe peeked in the room and grinned evilly at what he had hoped to find: Ironhide had fallen into a deep recharge. Sideswipe motioned his arm to signal the way was clear for them to proceed with the plan.

The two bots walked quietly up to the old warrior and removed their supplies from their subspace compartments. Bumblebee gently placed Sami on the desk as well. Sami picked up a paintbrush and drowned it in violet paint. Sideswipe and Bumblebee followed suit as the three began to give poor Ironhide his unexpected makeover.

Task completed, they retreated once more to the rec room. About an hour later, they were playing a videogame when they heard the strangest, yet most frightening sound…

"GRAAHHHHHH!"

All three of their heads snapped up at that. Sauni thought to herself, _Weird, that almost sounded like…_

"Ironhide!" Bumblebee realized as said bot stormed into the room. The three burst out laughing at his arrival. He looked hilarious. Ironhide's face was covered in purple hearts, flowers, and painted-on facial hair. "I love my guns" was scribbled on one of his arms. Someone also added "kill joy" on his chest and an arrow pointing up toward his head.

"You three!" He accused, taking steps toward them.

"Time to run!" Sideswipe exclaimed, transforming and zipping down the hall.

Transformed, Bumblebee opened his door for Samantha. "C'mon kiddo!" Sami quickly jumped in the front seat so they could get away before Ironhide could get across the room. She laughed. This was so typical of them, but pulling a prank on Ironhide was risky work, because he'd always get his revenge.

Nah- it's worth it.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Poor killjoy :) lol


End file.
